OSR learner

[Bakerbee]

So this is the first year theres been **** near me. Ive noticed bees coming in with it with their heads dotted with it. Some covered completely. So one hive is near to filling a super but not yet capped. My questions are... how long can you leave it on the hive? Do you whip them off once capped? Is there a way of telling if its going to crystallize? Do you cream the honey straight away? Ive been lucky so far with farmers crops but 3rd year newbee and its all around this year. Thanks all.

 

[enrico]

Leave it till it's capped and it might be too late. Use the shake test. Frame flat over hive and one good downwards shake, if it doesn't come out of the frame you can spin it out.
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[Ian123]

I leave on until the flowers start going over and don’t normally have an issue with any/much setting in the frames. I extract and filter into buckets as you don’t want to totally melt when creaming. Honey can then just warmed/stirred for a period before bottling

 

[Ian123]

Shake test always worked for me but with the availability/price of refractors now it’s worth getting1

 

[Wingy]

First year last year for me too. I extracted once it had been capped with no issues. I then left it in buckets until it set hard then warmed it and used a blender to cream it in reasonably small quantities and into jars. Wasn’t really much of an issue

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Doesn't all need to be capped

 

[Bakerbee]

Update. Took 2 supers of most beginning to be capped but shake test showed it was ready. Beautiful light honey.

 

[enrico]

Well done. Remember to keep a jar for ever just for interest sake. I so wish I had done that every year.colours and textures change at every extraction.
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[JazzJPH]

Well done. Remember to keep a jar for ever just for interest sake. I so wish I had done that every year.colours and textures change at every extraction.
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That's an excellent idea - I'll try to remember that when I finally get going. Cheers Enrico